For years, groups like the David Suzuki Foundation and the Ontario Beekeepers Association have argued that neonicotinoid seed treatments represent a systemic threat to bees. “Health Canada… will be cancelling some uses of these pesticides, and changing other conditions of use such as restricting the timing of application,” a department news release said. “Remaining uses […] Read more
Author Archives
Neonic seed treatments seen as safe for bees
Health Canada ruling yet to come on safety for aquatic insects
Canadian neonic, metabolite research shows insecticide effect on insect navigation
Locusts in wind tunnels exposed to neonics lost their ability to move themselves where they wanted
Drunk drivers are more likely to get in an accident because the alcohol in their blood impairs vision and delays reaction time. University of Saskatchewan biologists have identified a comparable phenomenon in locusts, when the insects are exposed to a small dose of insecticide. Why it matters: Farmers require a wide range of pesticides to […] Read more
Canada imports pork from Poland, despite African swine fever
If the disease appears in Canada, countries could ban imports of Canadian pork and cause billions in economic damage
Canada continues to import pork from Poland, even though it has had hundreds of cases of ASF. For the first 11 months of 2018, Canada imported more than $25 million worth of pork from Poland, based on Agriculture Canada data. Infected meat is the primary vector of ASF, a viral disease that can cause fever, […] Read more
U.S. agriculture secretary agrees with Canada in tariff dispute
Sonny Perdue admits the U.S. President has a different opinion
Canada has a friend in Washington. Sonny Perdue, the United States agriculture secretary, believes the American government should drop tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico as soon as possible. “We recognize from our industry and our sector, it’s in all of our best interests to see that it happens,” said Perdue, who […] Read more
Why won’t consumers listen?
Farmers have been trying to engage consumers for years — yet the work has had little impact
It happens at farm meetings across Canada. Speakers use words like “engagement” and then talk about how farmers can use Twitter and Facebook to influence people. This has been happening for years at agricultural conferences across Canada. Because of all those presentations, thousands of producers now use social media to connect with consumers and explain […] Read more
Soybean’s prairie party may be waning
A disappointing growing season in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan this summer is expected to cut into 2019 acres
Cinderella’s gown is looking tired and tattered. For about a dozen years, soybeans were the “it” crop in Manitoba as acres went from nothing to more than two million. That Cinderella status is now in doubt as a number of producers have second thoughts about beans. Why it matters: A decline in soybean production on […] Read more
Canada joins group supporting gene editing
Twelve countries issued a joint statement in support of the plant breeding process
The federal government has come out in favour of gene editing. Or, more accurately, the Government of Canada believes gene edited crops can help farmers produce “safe and affordable food, feed, fibres, and energy in the 21st century.” The quote comes from a statement released in early November and was delivered during a World Trade […] Read more
Dicamba drift problems continue in farm states
Fewer instances of dicamba drift onto non-target crops are being reported this year in the United States, but it continues to divide agriculture community
Aaron Hager has seen many changes in American agriculture in his 25 years at the University of Illinois. As an extension specialist and weed scientist, he saw the introduction and controversy around genetically modified crops and the emergence of herbicide resistant weeds. But nothing compares to the battle and nastiness over the last 12 months […] Read more
China develops its own version of Enviro-pig
A researcher who worked on the University of Guelph Enviro-pig now works with Chinese universities
Chinese researchers are moving forward with a transgenic pig similar to the Enviro-pig developed at the University of Guelph. In a paper published May 22, in a biochemistry and chemical biology journal, scientists from South China Agricultural University and China Agricultural University, wrote about transgenic hogs that grow faster and have less impact on the […] Read more
